National News
National Rally makes big gains in first round of voting - France's far right National Rally has made big gains in the first round of the parliamentary election on Sunday. Celebrating her party's early success, Marine Le Pen said "democracy has spoken" declaring that President Emmanuel Macron's camp is "practically wiped out". Meanwhile, following the results Macron is calling for a broad alliance against the National Rally ahead of next week's second round. His prime minister has warned that the far right is "at the gates of power". Voter turnout in Sunday's poll soared and was the highest in a parliamentary election since 1997. The snap parliamentary election was called by Macron following his party's defeat by the National Rally at the European elections earlier this month. Only candidates who manage to win more than 12.5% of the vote will go through to the next round. The National Rally want an absolute majority of 289 seats in the 577-seat National Assembly. However, seat projections for next Sunday’s second round run-off votes suggest they may fall short.
Shooting at wedding ceremony - In other news, one person has been killed and five others wounded in north-east France after masked gunmen opened fire at a wedding ceremony on Sunday. The attack is believed to be linked to a settling of scores between drug traffickers. The shooting took place early on Sunday at a reception hall where about 100 people were in attendance. Two people were seriously injured and one of them was in a critical condition. The perpetrators of the shooting fled the scene.
Storms - Ferocious storms and torrential rains which hit France, Switzerland and Italy this weekend have left seven people dead. Three people in their 70s and 80s died in France’s north-eastern Aube region on Saturday when a tree crushed the car in which they were travelling during fierce winds. A fourth passenger was in critical care. In neighbouring Switzerland, four people have died and another is missing, according to local police. Three were killed after torrential rains triggered a landslide in the south-eastern Italy.
Local News
Body found near lake in Valdeblore - Mountain rescue services have intervened after a lifeless body was found at an altitude of 2,500 meters near a lake in the hinterland of Nice. The body was discovered on Sunday afternoon near the town of Valdeblore after a hiker raised the alarm. An investigation is underway to determine the exact circumstances.
Speeding - A motorist has been intercepted by police at the Saint-Isidore pay toll on the A8 motorway after being flashed at the wheel of his Lamborghini driving at 264 km/h. The incident occurred on Saturday. The vehicle was registered in Switzerland and the foreign driver, from outside of the European Union, did not have an international driving license. He will now face a hefty fine and prosecution.
Love the Ocean – Finally, the sailboat “Love the Ocean” has left Monaco on an expedition to identify underwater species. Yvan Griboval and his crew left Monaco heading towards Menton, the first of 52 stops. The mission of the Love the Ocean sailboat is simple, to collect environmental DNA data by taking samples all along the coastline in areas where the seabed does not exceed 30 meters, from the Italian border (Menton) to the Spanish border. The expedition is in partnership with the Prince Albert II Foundation and the Monaco Yacht Club.
Business
The euro has risen after the first-round on voting in France. The shock parliamentary elections have unsettled markets as the far-right, as well as the left-wing alliance, which came second on Sunday, have pledged big spending increases at a time when France's high budget deficit has prompted the EU to recommend disciplinary steps.
Boeing has said that it will buy its struggling supplier Spirit AeroSystems in a $4.7 billion all-stock deal which was finalized after months of talks. The move comes as the aerospace giant tries to solve a full-blown safety and regulatory crisis that has engulfed its key supplier as well. The total transaction value is about $8.3 billion, including Spirit's last reported net debt.
And - An autograph book that includes Jimi Hendrix's signature has been sold for £2,000. 70-year-old Sara Bland was just 14 when she spotted the guitar legend wandering around Ipswich town centre. She had gone to Ipswich with friends to see pop group The Walker Brothers, and they were hoping to get their signatures, but ended up meeting Hendrix instead. He was that night's support act. The book, auctioned on Saturday, had a guide price of £2,000 to £3,000. It sold for £2,000, just reaching the reserve price.
Sport
Football - England had only 86 seconds to spare themselves from the humiliation of a defeat against Slovakia on Sunday in the Euro 2024 and then came Bellingham who produced a moment of genius to keep England in the competition. His action was then following by captain Harry Kane’s goal just a minute into the extra 30 minutes with a 2-1 win for England who will now face Switzerland in the quarterfinals.
Meanwhile, Spain beat Georgia 4-1 and will now face hosts Germany in the quarter finals. Today France plays Belgium kick off is at 6pm French time and Portugal face Slovenia with a 9pm kick off
Formula One – After a collision between Max Verstappen and Lando Norris as they were fighting for the lead it was George Russell who won the Austrian Grand Prix. Russell’s win was Mercedes’ first since the 2022 Brazilian Grand Prix.
Tennis – Lots of play to look forward to as Wimbledon gets underway today and opening up on centre court in the men’s singles will be Carlos Alcaraz playing against Mark Lajal. Meanwhile, Britain's Andy Murray says he is fighting to be fit for Wimbledon because he wants "a bit of closure" at the All England Club before retiring later this year. Murray says he will decide on "Monday evening" whether he will play in the singles. The world number 115 is due to play Tomas Machac of the Czech Republic on Tuesday.
Weather
A mostly cloudy start with some sunny spells. Strong winds by this afternoon with thundery showers forecast along the coast by this evening. Highs of 25 degrees in Nice, 24 degrees in Monaco, 26 degrees in Saint-Tropez and reaching 29 degrees in Marseille. This evening going down to 21 degrees with cloudy skies.
The outlook for tomorrow mainly fine with possible some scattered showers by the afternoon in Nice. Wednesday thundery showers and a gentle breeze highs of 26 degrees.
Sunrise 05.52am
Sunset 09.15pm
Sea temperature
Nice 22.5°
UV level 9
Weather elsewhere
London 20° light cloud.
Paris 22° cloudy.
Belfast 16° light rain.
And Finally
A man got more than he bargained for after stealing a campervan in the US only for the owners to be asleep inside at the time. The occupants were sleeping peacefully with their dog when the vehicle started moving. The incident occurred in the middle of the night and when the occupants woke up the campervan, that their friend had lent them, was moving. The couple and their dog remained silent so the thief would not know they were inside and called for help. The thief ended up turning into a dead end. Blocked, he stopped, and the police were able to arrest him. The suspect had previously been convicted of vehicle theft. He had been arrested three times on three different occasions.
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More than 200 candidates have confirmed that they will not stand in Sunday’s second round of parliamentary elections in France. ...
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